He came to see what government funding produced. On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, the Hon. John Duncan and his assistant Rita Hatfield visited the Cortes Museum to view the recently completed building expansion. Funded in part with a grant from Heritage Canada’s Building Communities through Arts and Heritage Program, the Museum and Archives building was expanded by 672 feet.

New areas include: a climate-controlled storage area to house the ever-growing Artifact and Archives Collections, a public archives research room, and an office for the Museum’s outreach volunteers. These new spaces provide increased opportunities for Cortes residents and visitors to interact with local heritage, access archival materials, and create exhibits or projects. As part of this Legacy Project, a new exhibit celebrates the history and 125th anniversary of Manson’s Landing.

The Society gratefully acknowledges the important role of Federal (Dept. of Heritage) and Provincial (B.C. Arts Council and Gaming Commission) government grants in the completion of this Project. It also recognizes the generous assistance of community partners, including Strathcona Regional District and Coastal Community Credit Union as well as Vancouver Foundation and Tides Foundation. The Cortes community also made generous donations of labour and materials crucial to the Projects completion and many contributed financial support.

Fall and winter hours at the Cortes Museum are now in effect: Friday and Saturday afternoon (noon to 4 pm) through to next spring. Watch for periodic notices of special events happening at the Museum. Website: www.cortesmuseum .ca